Stately under sail, Constitution evokes awe

Winds carry ship past Castle Island

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The USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat, sailed under its own power Sunday to commemorate its victory in the War of 1812.

By Jeff FishGlobe Correspondent
August 20, 2012

As thousands of onlookers cheered from Castle Island in South Boston, the USS Constitution sailed under its own power Sunday for just the second time in 131 years, marking the 200th anniversary of the battle that earned it the nickname Old Ironsides.

“It’s a twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity, sailing on her own power,” said Bob Pound, 48, of Quincy, referring to 1997, the last time the USS Constitution sailed on its own. That occasion was for the 200th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning.

Patriotic music sounded from Fort Independence as the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat came into view. “Once again, Boston well shows her history,” said Ken Smith, 47, of Cambridge.

“We’re hoping she goes rogue and goes off on her own,” joked his wife, Anne Marie, 47.

The Constitution was towed past the crowd to a point between Castle Island and Deer Island. About 200 sailors then unfurled four of its sails before it was released from its tugboat tethers and sailed toward open water for about 10 minutes.

Then, it slowly made its way back toward Castle Island, aided by a tugboat. After it approached and fired its cannons, the crowd cheered and boats honked their horns as they bobbed in the harbor a safe distance away.

“It was awesome,” said Liam Corbett, 31, of New Bedford, who was there with his wife, Nicole, 31, daughter Aurora, 5, son Max, 2, and their dog Rex. “We took the kids to see some history and got here just as the Constitution was coming down. I probably took over 100 pictures. It was a good family thing to do.”

The day brought special memories to Nicole, who was a crew member on a replica of a British tall ship, the HMS Bounty, when it was docked behind the Constitution in 1999.

Anne Marie Smith called the ship’s outing “exciting and inspiring — just spectacular.”

Jeff Fish can be reached at jfish@globe.com.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, an earlier version of this story incorrectly cited the anniversary commemorated by the 1997 sailing of the USS Constitution. The sailing marked the 200th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning.